New Living Translation
1 Samuel 14:36
36Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
1 Samuel 14:36 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
- New International Version (NIV)Saul said, “Let us go down and pursue the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn, and let us not leave one of them alive.” “Do whatever seems best to you,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us inquire of God here.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”
Context of 1 Samuel 14:36
34Then go out among the troops and tell them, ‘Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.’” So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there. 35Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first of the altars he built to the Lord. Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.” 37So Saul asked God, “Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?” But God made no reply that day. 38Then Saul said to the leaders, “Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today.
Read all of 1 Samuel 141 Samuel 14:36 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שָׁא֡וּל נֵרְדָ֣ה אַחֲרֵי֩ פְלִשְׁתִּ֨ים׀ לַ֜יְלָה וְֽנָבֹ֥זָה בָהֶ֣ם׀ עַד־א֣וֹר הַבֹּ֗קֶר וְלֹֽא־נַשְׁאֵ֤ר בָּהֶם֙ אִ֔ישׁ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ עֲשֵׂ֑ה ס וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן נִקְרְבָ֥ה הֲלֹ֖ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Let us go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- the Philistinesפְּלִשְׁתִּיpelishtîy · PhilistineH6430
- by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
- and spoilבָּזַזbâzaz · to plunderH962
- them until the morningבֹּ֫קֶרbôqer · morningH1242
- lightאוֹר'ôr · lightH216
- and let us not leaveשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- a manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- Doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- whatsoever seemethעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
- goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
- Let us draw nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- hitherהֲלֹםhălôm · hereH1988
- unto Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 14:36
- Joshua 10:9Joshua traveled all night from Gilgal and took the Amorite armies by surprise.
- Jeremiah 6:5‘Well then, let’s attack at night and destroy her palaces!’”
- 1 Samuel 11:11But before dawn the next morning, Saul arrived, having divided his army into three detachments. He launched a surprise attack against the Ammonites and slaughtered them the whole morning. The remnant of their army was so badly scattered that no two of them were left together.
- Joshua 11:14And the Israelites took all the plunder and livestock of the ravaged towns for themselves. But they killed all the people, leaving no survivors.
- Numbers 27:21When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do.”
- Psalms 73:28But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
- Isaiah 48:1“Listen to me, O family of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and born into the family of Judah. Listen, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and call on the God of Israel. You don’t keep your promises,
- Isaiah 58:2Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me.
- Malachi 2:7“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
- James 4:8Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14:36
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 36Then said the priest - It is evident that Ahiah doubted the propriety of pursuing the Philistines that night; and as a reverse of fortune might be ruinous after such a victory, he wished to have specific directions from the Lord.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 36Then said the priest - Ahijah, with equal courage and faithfulness, worthy of his office as “the priest,” when every one else yielded to Saul‘s humor, proposed that they should draw near to God to inquire of Him. (Compare 1 Kings 22:7.)Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 36-46Verses 36-46 If God turns away our prayer, we have reason to suspect it is for some sin harboured in our hearts, which we should find out, that we may put it away, and put it to death. We should always first suspect and examine ourselves; but an unhumbled heart suspects every other person, and looks every where but at home for the sinful cause of calamity. Jonathan was discovered to be the offender. Those most indulgent to their own sins are most severe…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-52Saul's actions in this chapter further support his removal as king (1 Samuel 13:8–14; see also 15). Saul was estranged from both Samuel and his brave son Jonathan. 1 Samuel 14 foreshadows Jonathan's important role in the shift from Saul's rule to David's.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries